Im researching some facts for a piece Im working on (writer) and have some questions maybe some of you can help with: Ive been coming to the lake for many many years, and when I was a kid, snappin turtles as big as trashcan lids were easy to find. My Grandpa and I used to run a small trotline and we'd catch em every so often. Mean and nasty things...but pretty cool to a 10 year old kid! Thing is, over the last several years, I havent been seeing em like I used to. SOmetimes, I could go in the back of a cove and see a log chock full of BIG turtles out sunnin'. Where'd they go?! I still see some little ones, but not nearly as many as before. Anyone got any ideas on the subject? Also, Im interested in finding some local experts/collectors of Ockonneechee Indians. Appreciate the tips guys and really think this board is the best at fishing info and just plain good folks. (Buggsman needs a little refresher in suthun' manners and grace. Dont bite the hand that feeds ya, Buggs ....one day, you may be stranded on the lake and one of US will be in a position to help...or not. Course, the people on here WILL help, but youll have to eat some crow to get it!! )

judge tisdale has a very nice collection from the okee.indains.i will see if they are still there and let you know also dr. shelton in boydton had some to.

Try MacCallumore Gardens in Chase City, they have an indian museum. But I don't know the hours. 372-0502

Also try the Oconeechee state park visitor center.

Snappin' turtles is good eats!

Thanks for the indian leads....appreciate it! And yep...them turtles IS good eats!! Still looking for anyones experiences with em. Youll recieve a credit if its any good!!

I see them in the farm ponds all the time, but not so much in the lakes and I suspect it's largely due to the volume of boat traffic. The biggest one I've seen in recent memory was in Beaverdam last summer, his shell is close to 3 feet across and his head is about the width of a coke can when he surfaces to look around. I caught a nice one on a crappie jig in Falls a couple of weeks ago. I was going to give him to somebody but I decided to turn him loose because it would have been unsafe to have him and my 4-year-old in the same boat.

WantaWalleye, You got that right. they are better than chicken

Turtles are becoming scarce in many lakes.. In my theory its not due to harvest, but lack of habitat. Not many people eat turtle any more, and most dont even know you could eat them. Me, i still set out at times only for turtles, but i hit the farm ponds. Im around the Smith Mt lake area in Va. And turtles just aint what they use to be. My largest to date is a 47lber. Caught when i was little by me and my papaw (grandfather)..
With the increasing, boat traffic, house and dock building and removing the natural habitat around the banks and replacing them with rocks piles, just aint going to cut it for the turtles to live. More to fight for, for food, nesting areas, and mainly the land owners. Alot of people that sea a snapping turtle think of them as a snake. That they would be better off dead, killed and left to rot. Most people think there a threat, coming out of the water to eat the dog. Not true. You will see a snapper walking around for only a couple of a reasons. They going to nest, and snapper wont always nest right near the water. Sometimes they will travel a good distance before finding a a suitable nesting spot. Another reason is there changing location, due to the current body of water they was living in has a lack of forage for the turtle. and the last one is sometiems wont settle into the banks to hibernate, some will actually exit the water and travel the land for a while before settling into a hibernation spot, which in turns just means they have to travel back to the body of water. Meaning they travel at times, means they have to go across people yards and roads. Were they get killed... I have actually seen people fishing from the bank, set the hook into a slow moving fish, only to reel in a snapping turtle. To only turn around and smash the turtle with rocks.
Yes turtles can be a threat to striper fishermen. Being a striper fishermen myself. I have heard of many stories of a striper fishermen pulling up his shad cage to get a few for a morning outting to only find that a big snapper mangled the cage triing to get a bite of a gizzard shad... But otters and other will do the same to a shad cage.
To find alot of snappers, ponds are your best bet. They have plenty of natural habitat and forage for the turtle. Making them right at home for a number of years. But talking about a turtle basking in the sun. Most of the time a snapper will rarly bask. Most fo the turtles you see piled on logs on top of each other, are painted, cooters and slider turtles. A small turtle that dont reach bout 10lbs. Mainly your "pet" turtles.
Like ive been saying, I myself have noticed a decrease the snapper population. I head to farms ponds to bring a few turtles home. I may bring 4-6 15-25lb turtles home for the table throughout the year. But as of the lakes, with the houses and dock thats keep coming, the turtles and many other lake critter will be leaving... I hope this helps your report...

Travis
CatsNstripers

QBDAD

For a writer,you sure catch onto things mighty slow.I could give you the info that you need,but lets just think it as me being on the lake and needing help.There is more than one way to get help if i need it on the lake.So you can keep your thoughts to yourself.If i were stranded,i WOULD want you to pass on by,and wave if you want.No hard feeling will come of it.If i see ya in public,i will still shake your hand.Just the kinda guy i am.Just because i called some people out,doesn't make me a bad person.To many fish tales were being told and people were headed to Buggs fishing on false reports.Just notice of how many people have caught fish and the quanity since i called them out.

You're right Buggsman, alot of fisherman will mislead you and point you in the wrong direction. I was down last week and so two guys catch 4 crappie, later that day I talked to them and they said that they caught zero that day. Also I came up with about 40, 14 over 12 in. I was fishing where everyone here said there was no fish. Take the advice you see here with a grain of sand.

Some people will tell you a tale tell. To either make there day seem better, or to try to hide a secret. Others will just flat out spill there guts.... While me, i will kindly help just about anyone, point you in the right direction, giving yourself a few helpful tips and hints. But im not going to hold your hand...

Travis
CatsNstripers

Hey Buggsman....I never said you were a 'bad person'...I just said you ought to think a little before you down everyone on here as liars and fakes. Every post Ive seen from you has been negative...claiming that the guys on here are intentionally misleading you or outright lying about how their fishing or what their catching. And if I saw you out on the lake stranded, Id stop...of course...cause thats what any normal, good fishin guy should do. Im wondering if YOUD do the same. Anyone on here who thinks Im "slow to catch on" need only read your past posts about Dave and the rest...who by the way has never been anything but helpful and honest. I havent got any issues with you, Buggs, other than I think you are way too quick to blame your lack of catchin fish on others.

Thanks to the rest of you for the info Ive been tryin to get. Got a biologist from Corp calling this week about turtle dropoff in kerr, but still looking for OK Indian buffs I can drop in and see collections of, take some pictures, get some history. Thanks again guys...and Buggs...no hard feelings. We just dont see the info posted here in the same way. Ive used the tips and hints and caught fish most every time..sometimes not alot, sometimes a few pretty nice ones. Thats fishin'. Good luck to ya.

The end.

buggsman,i offered to take you out and put you on fish,but for some reason you never answered it,so if you don`t want to be on fish why call us lairs,hell all you had to do was bring a pole and i was going to let you keep the fish.the offer still stands,but if you don`t beleave use then just don`t conment plain and simple.no hard feelings.
you name it:crappie,catfish or bass its up to you.

Someone just step on that Bugg!

BUGGSMAN, I'LL MAKE THE SAME OFFER AS DAVE ,PLUS I'LL TEACH YOU HOW TO FIND YOUR OWN PLACES ON BUGGS ISLAND. DON'T FISH MUCH FOR CATS, BUT CRAPPIES ,BASS STRIPERS, WHITE BASS, AND WHITE PERCH I CATCH RITE OFTEN. I'M NOT A GUIDE , BUT BEEN TEACHING PEOPLE WHAT I KNOW FOR MANY YEARS.

BuggsMan is like a big brother who just constantly just tries to irritate you and think of ways to push your buttons. The guy probably does not even fish, is a 14 year old kid, or is just bitter or lonely. You guys should not argue with him, but just feel sorry for him.

BIG WORMER

IF MY OFFER DON'T PUSH HIS BUTTON HE IS NOT INTERESTED IN LEARNIN TO FISH.

Heck FishDoc and Dave....ILL take ya up on the offer to fish sometime!! Far as Ive been able to tell from here, you guys know a little somethin about fishin the lake and Im always up for finding out how its done by someone else. Wont be up till end of month now, but maybe one day we can get together and catch some fish...course, Ill have to take a lie-detector test before you-know-who believes that we actually caught em IN the lake using YOUR methods!

you are more than welcome to go with me fishing in the afternoons after work or if i get some days off i`ll have to let you know about the days off.

QB I'M AT WORK FROM 3PM TIL 11PM AT 336-627-2116, CALL SEE IF WE CAN WORK IT OUT.YOU TO BUGGSMAN

FISHDOC,you left out walleye,can't forget those tasty fillets.I have learned more fishing with you the last few years than Virgil Ward ever knew.

Thanks Dave and FDoc..Ill give yall a call when I get near to the time Ill be on up. Dave...best of luck in your new daytime pursuit...the fishll miss ya, Im sure!!

QBDAD, DON'T WAIT TO LONG. I STAY BOOKED AHEAD.

hey fishdoc,how about me and you hooking up for an afternoon of fishing,i`ll bring the cam recorder just so there want be any questions on what we catch.

YOU MEAN I CAN BE A STAR!!!! SERIOUSLY, DAVE, I WORK AFTERNOONS, 3PM TIL 11PM. GOT SOME TIME OFF LAST WEEK OF MONTH, WILL BE AT BUUGS EVERY DAY (MON. THRU FRI.) GIMME A YELL, WE'LL SET SOMETHING UP.336-627-2116

SPEAKING OF SNAPPERS,WE USED TO GO TO SALEM ,VA. ON THE ROANOKE RIVER BACK IN THE '70'S TO SET LIMB LINES FOR SNAPPERS. WE USUALLY SET 200 TO 300 HOOKS FOR ONE NIGHT.CAUGHT 50-60 SNAPPERS A TRIP. DONE THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE SEED CROP FOR BUGGS.DON'T KNOW, JUST WONDERING